Reading with Style discussion
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Winter 13/14 RwS Completed Tasks - Winter 13/14
Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Kate S wrote: "From Post 994Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "10.6 - Beginnings/Endings:
Twelve Years a Slave by [a...
+10 not-a-novel (memoir) "
Kate, I actually included the 10 poi..."
I haven't gotten to the compare total points part yet, thanks for the head's up. :)
20.9 Daytona 500The Sword of the Lady by S.M. Stirling
+20 task (672 pages)
+5 Jumbo
Task total: 25 points
Grand Total: 1745
From Post 982Heather wrote: "20.5 - disturbing
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
+20 task
task total: 20
grand total: 1755"
+5 Combo 20.6
Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "10.5 Goodreads authorizedThe Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Garth Stein is a goodreads author.
Task +10
Style + 10
Review
I absolutely loved this book. I..."
+5 Combo (20.7-Group Read Redux)
20.7 Group Reads ReduxThe Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Stevens, an aging butler at Darlington Hall near Oxford, takes a trip through England's West Country in 1956 to visit an old friend. He reminisces about his years serving the Lord Darlington, now deceased, who was very active politically behind the scenes following World War I. Stevens narrates the story of his life in a refined butler's way of speaking. He's such a model professional butler that he rarely lets down his reserved, polite facade. His new employer is an American, a relaxed man, that has Stevens feeling uncomfortable because of his employer's love of banter and small talk.
He thinks about what makes a great butler and comes up with "dignity" as being the most important qualification. Stevens had devoted his whole life to make things run smoothly for Lord Darlington. But now he realizes that Lord Darlington was not always wise, although he had the best of intentions, when dealing with German political figures as Hitler was coming into power.
Stevens also thinks about what he gave up by devoting his life solely to his profession. He had never revealed his feelings to the young housekeeper who had eventually left to marry another man.
"The Remains of the Day" is not only a portrait of the butler near the end of his working life. It also paints a picture of the British class system and politics. Highly recommended.
+20 task
+ 5 oldie (pub 1989)
+ 5 combo (20.6 #147 on the 20th Century list)
+10 review
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 1465
20.4 - disastersCause and Effect: Understanding Chernobyl by Marianne Barisonek
+20 task
+10 not a novel
task total: 30
grand total: 1820
10.5 - Goodreads authorThe Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
890 Lexile
+10 task
task total: 10
grand total: 1830
20.5 - DisturbingGarden of Shadows by V.C. Andrews
I personally love family sagas and I feel the need to devour entire series in the order they were written. Now knowing that about myself, I started reading Garden of Shadows immediately following ‘Seeds of Yesterday’ and I must say having read the Dollanganger Series when I was a teenager and having re-read them now in my 30’s I actually enjoyed Garden of Shadows the most. From what I remember this was not the case when I was teenager. This shouldn’t be surprising to me but for some reason I do find myself a bit shocked by this outcome.
Garden of Shadows is the heart-wrenching story of the Foxworth family told from Olivia’s perspective to shed some light on the horrible and disturbing events, which lead to Corrine and Christopher’s ghastly secret in Flowers in the Attic. I really felt for Olivia and could grasp how such horrific events could come to be. The life that was made for her was not one of her asking but 100% she could have changed the outcome and just didn’t.
I think for me that is why this is the most disturbing installment of the series and why I enjoyed it the most. I love knowing the back-story and what thoughts and actions could possibly of lead to the actions of her family members in the years to come. Really happy that I re-read the series.
+20 Task (Listed as Disturbing 5 times)
+10 Review
+5 Oldies (1987)
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 330
Karen GHHS wrote: "I'm really excited to read this one! I just heard it book talked on Saturday along with Winger (890 Lexile) also by Smith. It doesn't change anything because I think grasshopper is just too new to have a Lexile yet and it is a YA book, but I think putting it in at BPL as juvenile is a goof that will probably be corrected. The content was recommended by the expert presenters I heard on the upper end of high school. I'm just adding this info for those of you who might want to read it. "
Probably young adult, but definitely not juvenile. I do hope that they it at BPL so that future readers are not confused. I really enjoyed this book I will definitely be looking out for Winger.
20.7 Group Reads ReduxNothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
Review:
A compelling account of the stories of six North Koreans who defected to South Korea. The author weaves together these stories into a narrative account that provides a very personal look at the totalitarian regime and the famine of the 1990s. I knew very little of the country's history before starting this book. The narrator for the unabridged audiobook version handled the Korean names reasonably well, and made the story engaging. The book did not provide much opportunity for the narrator to demonstrate dialogue or voice differentiation. Highly recommended for anyone interested in what the lives of North Koreans have been like and the risks involved in defecting to South Korea or China.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+10 Combo (10.6, 20.4)
+10 Not a novel (nonfiction)
Task Total: 50
Grand Total: 825
10.5 Goodreads AuthorizedThe Magicians by Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman’s novel ”The Magicians” has been described as ”Harry Potter goes to college”, and I can definitely see the basis for this description, as it is about a Quentin Coldwater who discovers that he is a magician and attends a prestigious, but secret, college for magic to hone his skill. But there are more differences than similarities between the two universes, and let’s face it: the magic school is a fairly common trope in the fantasy genre. Where the Harry Potter-series in large parts deals with the wonder of magic, the magic in “The Magicians” is mostly just another skill which makes life easier, however tough it might be to learn. Quentin is filled with ennui at his humdrum life at the beginning of the book, throughout the book and at the end of the book. While he is a supremely annoying protagonist because of this, the novel actually uses this to make an interesting point about happiness not necessarily stemming from having your dreams come true. The book is well written and recommended for everyone who has ever dreamed of going to Narnia (be careful what you wish for…).
+10 Task
+5 Combo (10.2: #3596 times)
+10 Review
Task total: 25 pts
Grand total: 270 pts
10.5 – Goodreads authorized:Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo: 10.6 – Beginnings/Ending (most recent pub)
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 1980
10.6 – Beginnings/Endings:The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan
+10 Task: most recent pub
Grand Total: 1990
20.3 – Post-Colonial:Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje
+20 Task: author on the list
Grand Total: 2010
20.5 – Disturbing:Nothing by Janne Teller
+20 Task: 1000 Lexile, 5 shelvings (hmmm - can't find this anymore, though)
+ 5 Combo: 20.1 – 1964 (author born 1964) http://www.janneteller.dk/?English
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 2035
Karen GHHS wrote: "20.5 – Disturbing:Nothing by Janne Teller
+20 Task: 1000 Lexile, 5 shelvings (hmmm - can't find this anymore, though)"
You're good on this one - it's on our list.
Ok, good. thought maybe I was seeing things! It was definitely disturbing! A Lord of the Flies type read.
20.9 Daytona 500The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
Review:
This is one of the best books I've read in a couple of years. It's a moving, compassionate, sometimes humorous portrayal of a man with four wives and twenty-something children. It shows the trouble navigating the relationships, as well as grief. The prose is beautiful with no excess, and I found the pacing and the plot to work well together. For the first half of the book I just wanted to savor each chapter, but by the end I couldn't stop reading. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the complexities of a polygamist lifestyle.
+20 Task (624 pg)
+5 Combo (10.6-most recent book)
+10 Review
+5 Jumbo (624 pg)
--------
Task Total: 40
Grand Total: 270
10.1 Reading ResolutionsMrs. Dalloway: Mapping Streams of Consciousness by David Dowling
+10 task (non biography non-fiction)
+10 not-a-novel
Post Total: 20
Season Total: 1595
10.4 Chinese New YearThree Trapped Tigers by Guillermo Cabrera Infante
+10 Task ('tiger')
+5 Oldies (1965)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 1610
10.6 Beginnings/EndingsStarter House by Sonja Condit
+10 Task (most recent work)
+5 Combo (10.5-GR Authorized)
Post Total: 15
Season Total: 1625
20.9 Daytona 500The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Lexile 820
525 pages
Review: I thought this was a wonderful book. The format was so interesting with the mixture of pictures and pages with words. I haven't decided if I would have liked it in color yet. I would like to see the movie "Hugo", inspired by this book. I was shocked to learn that all the early film information and all the pictures were real and that Georges Melies was a real person. Hugo Cabret read much more like a fantasy book than a historical fiction book though, and I like that. Selznick does a good job of teaching and presenting facts while still keeping the story magical and accessible to young fantasy readers.
+20 Task
+10 Review
+5 Jumbo
Task Total: 35 points
Grand Total: 595 points
10.2 ReindeerFinnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
Lexile 820
+10 task
+5 Combo (10.5)
Task total: 15 points
Grand Total: 1760
20.10 Between the WarsPigs Is Pigs and Other Favorites by Ellis Parker Butler This is the closest link I could find. See my post under Questions-Chinese new Year
Review
Ellis Parker Butler, like his contemporary, Mark Twain, wrote humorous stories in the dialect of the characters as they would have spoken them. This delightful collection featured immigrant groups that are melting into the American pot but still have roots in “the Auld Country”. The area of Chicago and its then somewhat rural surroundings are the setting for a large population of Irish immigrants with some Dutch, German and French thrown in. The hilarious stories mostly come with the misunderstandings invoked by poor spelling, unusual pronunciations and mistaken contexts. Much like Amelia Bedelia for grown-ups. Again like Twain there are some words to describe certain racial groups which would not be acceptable today but at the time would have been true conflicts of opinion shared by the characters at this time, mostly against Italians.
However overall the book is a rib tickler glimpsing a time in American history that would almost make one nostalgic for a simpler time, when Irish Blarney could keep citizens entertained before television and at a time when our roots were still showing audibly. Most of these stories were published in magazines as serials or short stories. Thee stories are delightful and as full of mischief as Huckleberry and Tom Sawyer.
+20 pts - Task (born 1869)
+5 pts - Combo (10.4 - Pigs)
+10 pts - Review
+10 pts - Not a Novel (short stories)
+10 pts - Oldies (early 1900's)
Task Total - 55 pts
Grand Total - 1515 pts
10.5The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black
Lexile 760
+10 task
task total: 10
grand total: 1840
10.2 - 3000+ timesMiss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Lexile 890
+10 task
task total: 10
grand total: 1850
20.09 Daytona 500The Belly of Paris by Émile Zola
+20 Task (660 pages)
+10 Oldies (pub 1873)
+ 5 Jumbo
Task Total = 35
Grand Total = 540
I don't have another fairly short one lined up, so that will do it for me this season.
10.6 Beginnings/EndingsThe Scribe by Elizabeth Hunter
Review: I really enjoyed this slightly different from usual paranormal romance/urban fantasy book. It had its less perfect moments, such as throw away cultural references that will seem dated in a few years and a very abrupt movement from just knowing someone to love, but all in all it was fun and refreshing. Set in Turkey, it follows a woman who has heard mysterious voices all her life and a part-angel ‘Irim scribe’, who turn out to be destined for each other. Ava’s condition was a unique take on telepathy – unlike Sookie Stackhouse, she can’t hear even close to complete thoughts, since the voices are in a language she doesn’t understand and cannot find any mention of. In the course of this book, Ava finds out some things about herself and her gift, although the ending left quite a few unanswered questions. I’ll have to wait for the next one to hopefully find out the answers with her.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+5 Combo (10.5)
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 1030
TtPR – Seafarer15.9 (ninth stop): Japan
The Devotion of Suspect X: A Detective Galileo Novel by Keigo Higashino (born in Japan, Japanese, set in Japan)
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total: 25
Grand Total: 1055
TtPR – Seafarer15.10 (tenth stop): Russia
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
+15 Task
+10 Bonus
Task Total: 25
“Well Traveled” Bonus: 100
Grand Total: 1180
10.6 Beginnings/EndingsAmericanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
+10 Task (most recent book)
Post Total: 10
Season Total: 1665
20.3 Post ColonialNo Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
+20 Task
+5 Oldies (1960)
Post Total: 25
Season Total: 1690
20.8 Disastrous ReadingToo Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
The disaster that struck Wall Street when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy has had a profound and lasting impact on the global economy in the years since, which to me makes it a compelling event to try to understand. “Too Big to Fail” is Andrew Ross Sorkin’s attempt to do just that. I say “attempt” because the events the lead up to the near-collapse of Wall Street as well as the negociations that take place between the government and the different financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and, of course, Lehman Brothers in those fateful September days (and evenings and nights) are complex (and perplexing) to say the least. The cast of characters who are involved in these proceedings alone is enormous and difficult to get a grip on.
However, as confusing and complex as this narrative is the book is very well written (with a nice pace that almost makes it read like a thriller, apart from the financial jargon, of course) and Sorkin does his best to help the reader understand what happened inside and around these companies which were supposedly too big to fail.
+20 Task
+15 Combo (10.6 (only published book http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_R...), 10.8 (tOo BIG to fail: The iNside...), 20.9 (600 pages))
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel
+5 Jumbo (600 pages)
Task total: 60 pts.
Grand total: 330 pts
20.5 - DisturbingThe Elephant Tree by R.D. Ronald
I think this was a really enjoyable and solid first novel by R.D.Ronald. I really wish we could give half stars as I was really close to giving four stars as my rating.
There was definitely something about the story, which made it impossible for me to put down. I really just needed to know what was going to happen to Scott and how all the side stories were going to intertwine and eventually collide together.
I did have issues with some of the writing and how the story was laid out; the section that went back and forth from the present to the past was slightly confusing at first. I liked the back-story and it did add to story, I just wished it read differently.
I will say that I was surprised by the story, I decided to read this novel due to it being on the 'Disturbing' list and I must say I didn't find it very disturbing. In that way, I was a bit let down...but maybe I just have a different idea of what disturbing is.
+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.6 - debut novel)
+10 Review
Task Total: 35
Grand Total: 365
20.9 Daytona 500Broken Skin by Stuart MacBride
+20 task
+5 jumbo (594pgs)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 325
10.7 - Keep it ShortTenth of December by George Saunders
+10 Task (Story Prize and PEN/Malamud Award)
+5 Combo (10.6 - most recent)
+10 Not-a-Novel (short stories)
Task total: 25
Grand total: 460
10.6 - Beginnings/EndingsLove is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
+10 Task (debut)
+10 Not-a-Novel (nonfiction)
Total task: 20
Grand total: 480
10.6 - Beginnings/EndingsIs Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling compiles a collection of stories, anecdotes, and lists to create Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?. It is partly a humorous memoir and partly her tale of breaking into show business. The downside is that her book seems more like a lengthy magazine article than a fully-realized narrative. However, Kaling’s charm and wit come through to create many funny moments that makes reading this lighthearted book a completely enjoyable way to spend a few of hours. I listened to the audiobook, which I would recommend, because Kaling's entertaining narration makes it seem like you are listening to a friend tell you all her funny stories.
+10 Task (most recent)
+10 Not-a-Novel (nonfiction)
+10 Review
Task total: 30
Grand total: 510
10.5 Goodreads authorizedCold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places by Bill Streever
Review: This is an interesting, light account of cold--history, physics, biology, meteorology, oceanography with a dose of related climate change information. The book is organized into chapters by month with news often from Streever's home base in Alaska. All is very much in easily understood lay language. In areas that I am versed in, I did not feel that he was talking down to me and in areas that were foreign to me(such as the physics of materials approaching 0 degrees Kelvin) his explanations were delightfully clear (but probably simplistic).
I found some of his humor pretty lame.
I very much liked his narrative notes at the end.
+10 Task
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-novel (nonfiction)
Task total: 30
Grand Total:
From Post 1043Karen GHHS wrote: "20.3 – Post-Colonial:
Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje
+20 Task: author on the list
Grand Total: 2010"
+5 Oldies
From Post 1029Coralie wrote: "20.9 Daytona 500
The Sword of the Lady by S.M. Stirling
+20 task (672 pages)
+5 Jumbo
Task total: 25 points
Grand Total: 1745"
Sorry, Coralie, the most popular edition of this book has only 496 pages (so close), but does not qualify for 20.9 or Jumbo points.
From Post 1033Connie wrote: "20.7 Group Reads Redux
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Stevens, an aging butler at Darlington Hall near Oxford, takes a trip through England's West Country in ..."
+5 Combo (20.4-#44 on Traveling Vicariously List)
10.8 BINGOGame Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann & Mark Halperin
+10 task (BINGO in title and subtitle)
+10 not-a-novel (nonfiction)
Task Total: 20
Grand Total: 285
10.10 Group ReadsThe Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman by Andrzej Szczypiorski
+10 task
+5 oldies (pub 1986)
Task Total: 15
Grand Total: 300
(Thanks for suggesting the book -- it was great!!)
20.1 1964Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Lexile: 950
+20 Task (author born 1964 -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabet...)
+10 combo (10.5 - GR author; 10.6 - most recent book)
Task Total: 30
Grand Total: 330
20.4 TravelThe Age of Kali: Indian Travels and Encounters by William Dalrymple
Review: I read Dalrymple’s City of Djinns for a history of India course in college, and remembered liking it enough that at some point I picked this one up as well. It’s been sitting on my bookshelves for years, and I’m glad I finally got to it. Written at various points in his travels through India and some of its neighbors during the 1990s, it’s a series of essays that explores the political and cultural climate in that moment in time as well as the history of how things became that way. I’m not entirely sure what Dalrymple’s background is, but I really appreciated how he also pulls in the setting. As an architect, I am fascinated by the connection of social history and architectural and urban history, so I loved finding those nuggets. Now I want to look up how the people and events he wrote about have changed since the 90s.
+20 Task (#94 on Favorite Travel Books list)
+10 Review
+10 Not-a-Novel
Task Total: 40
RwS Finish: 100
Mega Finish: 200
Grand Total: 1520
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Reading with Style
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Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "10.6 - Beginnings/Endings:
Twelve Years a Slave by [a...
+10 not-a-novel (memoir) "
Kate, I actually included the 10 points in my post but forgot to list it in the breakout. It was 10 pts task, 10 points not-a-novel and 15 points oldie, total 35. No change in the totals for that one.